Isaiah 43:4 Meaning of You Are Precious

Isaiah 43:4
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”

Explanation and Commentary of Isaiah 43:4

God is here describing his sovereign choice of the Israelites as the vicarious nation through which he eventually will bless all the nations of the world. First, he will favor his people above them all. This is fitting since it is through Israel that the Messiah will manifest himself to take into his body the sins of the whole world. God does this because of his glory (Isa 43:7), but importantly here, we see that he does this because of his great love for those he chooses.

This is a crucial point. God’s favor for us is not based on our works. The Israelites were woefully unable to do the good works that God’s nature and law requires. They were never going to be able to accomplish it apart from God’s intervention, which would only come about because it was God’s will to save. God so loved the world that he sent his only Son (Jn 3:16).

If you believe in Jesus and have put your faith in his name, then you are chosen by God (1 Pt 2:9). This is great salvation and it should be understood that the Father has set his love on you, simply because he desired it. It is his love that has reached out to save us, and it will be his love that returns for us to take him to where he is.

Breaking Down the Key Parts of Isaiah 43:4

#1 “Since you are precious and honored in my sight,”
God’s people are precious and honored by him because of his own choice to honor us. This means that he will save us, and we will be with him for an eternity.

#2 “and because I love you,”
God is love. His love drives his actions and has caused him to send his Son, who loved us and came of his own volition to give his life for anyone who would believe.

#3 “I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”
In the contemporary context of the verse, God means that he will favor the Israelites over the other nations. In the ultimate context, when God exchanges people, it goes beyond the exchange of animal sacrifices and culminates with the exchange of his Son.

Expert Overview of Isaiah 40-66

Biblical Translations of Isaiah 43:4

NIV
“Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.”

NLT
“Others were given in exchange for you. I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.”

ESV
“Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.”

KJV
“Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.”

NKJV
“Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life.”